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Gc 974.702 R58an 1851520
M. L
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01177 2651
54620
ANNALS OF ST. LUKE'S CHURCH,
ROCHESTER, N. Y.
1817-1883.
WITH NAMES OF OFFICERS, PAROCHIAL STATISTICS AND HISTORICAL SKETCHES
OF THE
OTHER PARISHES,
BY THE
REV. HENRY ANSTICE, D. D.
.
"Hac olim meminisse juvabit."
ROCHESTER : SCRANTOM, WETMORE & Co. 1883.
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1851040
D
ANSTICE, HENRY, 1841-
285175 .03
Annals of St. Luke's church, Rochester, N. Y. , 1817-1883. With names of officers, parochial statistics and historical sketches of the other parishes. Wetmore & co., 1883.
Rochester, Scrasta
, 2,L.,149p. illus. 20cm.
ICN '74
ỐC
74-13539 PC
A ASh CAR Gr
GrSh Mss W GT "Grish"
CS-
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/annalsofstlukesc00anst 0
'ST. LUKE'S CHURCH, ERECTED 1824.
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" Mere holy thoughts a light have shed From many a radiant face, And prayers of humble virtue made The perfume of the place. And anxious hearts have pondered hore The mystery of life, And prayed the eternal Light to clear Chein doubts, and aid thein strife."
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1
PREFATORY NOTE.
THE ANNALS OF ST. LUKE'S CHURCH are published in compliance with the request of St. Luke's Vestry as contained in the following preamble and resolution adopted by that body in July last :
" WHEREAS St. Luke's Parish has now had an organ- ized existence extending over two generations, and the facts of its history are of interest sufficient to warrant their preservation in permanent and accessible form. therefore
RESOLVED, that our Rector be requested to prepare and publish in suitable book form. an Historical Sketch of St. Luke's Church. embodying such documentary and statistical facts as he shall deem of interest."
Sketches of the other parishes are appended as no his- tory of the mother-church would be complete withont some record of the origin and growth of those organi- zations which, proceeding from her more or less directly. are her fellow workers in the field of Rochester.
No effort has been spared to seenre absolute accuracy in facts and figures, and in every case original sources of information have been consulted where accessible.
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iv
PREFATORY NOTE.
The epistolary extracts in the earlier part of the Sketch were taken from the " Hobart Correspondence," which is in the archives of the General Convention.
The kind co-operation of the clergymen and laymen who have afforded facilities for the researches necessary in the preparation of this work. or whose personal reminiscences have been of value. is hereby gratefully acknowledged.
It has been throughout the simple design of the author to give a clear, accurate and concise embodiment of facts and figures without aiming at grace of expression or indulging in personal characterizations of men or measures.
In memory of those that have gone before, who have been "careful to maintain good works," and to the zealous workers of to-day, these Annals are inscribed.
ST. LUKE'S RECTORY, Sept. 1, 1883.
Contents,
HISTORICAL SKETCH. OFFICERS OF THE CHURCH. BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES OF THE RECTORS. PAROCHIAL STATISTICS.
OTHER SKETCHES :
ST. PAUL'S CHURCH. TRINITY CHURCH.
CHRIST CHURCH.
CHURCH OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD.
ST. JAMES' CHURCH.
CHURCH OF THE EPIPHANY.
ST. ANDREW'S CHURCH.
ST. MARK'S MISSION.
ST. JOHN'S MISSION. CHURCH HOME.
STATISTICS OF THE CHURCH IN ROCHESTER.
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istorical Shetch.
The organization of St. Luke's Parish was effected by the Rev. Henry U. Onderdonk, " Rector of St. John's Church, Canandaigua, and Missionary in parts adjacent," on the 14th day of July, 1817, under the corporate name of ' St. Luke's Church, Genesee Falls."
The original corporators, as indicated by their signatures to the " Declaration of Attachment to the Protestant Episcopal Church," were S. Melancton Smith, Moses P. Belknap, Wm. Y. Green, Jesse Moore, A. G. Dauby, John P. Comparet, Anson House. Daniel Hibbard, Ja- cob Howe, Elisha Johnson, Jonah Brown, Caleb Hammond, Jabez Wilkinson, Joseph Thomp- son, Wm. Atkinson, Sam'l J. Andrews, John C. Rochester, John Mastick, Silas Smith, Ros- well Babbit, Enos Stone, Oliver Culver, John P. Sheldon, Daniel Tinker, Lewis Jenkins, H. Montgomery, Joseph Spencer, Joseph Griffin. This instrument bore date March 13, 1817, at
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ANNALS OF ST. LUKE'S.
which time the Rev. Mr. Onderdonk "held the first public services of our Church at Roches- terville."
The requisite legal notice having been "read at morning service on the two Sundays next preceding " the date of organization, twenty of the above-named persons met in a schoolhouse, belonging to Samuel James Andrews, on the east side of the river, in what was known as the town of Brighton, in the county of Ontario. The Rev. Mr. Onderdonk presided and the Rev. Geo. H. Norton offered prayer. Roswell Babbitt acted as clerk. Col. N. Rochester and Samuel J. Andrews were elected Wardens, and Silas Smith, Roswell Babbit, John Mastick, Lewis Jenkins, Elisha Johnson, John C. Roch- ester, Wm. Atkinson and Oliver Culver, Ves- trymen. The original Certificate of Incorpora- tion was recorded in the Clerk's office of Ontario County, on the 19th of July, 1817, in Liber C of Miscellaneous Records, at page 195.
The first stated services were held by the Rev. George H. Norton, whose entrance upon the field is chronicled in the following extracts from letters addressed to Bishop Hobart by the Rev. Mr. Onderdonk. Under date of Canan- daigua, Jan. 14, 1817, he writes-
" Mr. Norton passed his first two examina- tions a week ago very creditably. In the hope
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HISTORICAL SKETCH.
that he will remain in the West, and believing that he is qualified to be very useful, I shall venture to begin operations at Rochesterville pretty soon. But if he is decidedly spoken of there as the missionary for building them up, it will be highly proper that he go there the instant he is in Orders."
And again under date of June 11, 1817,
"Mr. Norton, I hope, will go to Rochester- ville, but I confess that. Buffalo is more prom- ising and more in need of him; and if Mr. Norton goes to Buffalo, I should like to secure Mr. Asahel Davis, or somebody, without delay at R. Indeed Rochesterville has disappointed me not a little. When requested to go there. I told a gentleman I could do but little person- ally ; but they will do almost nothing them- selves. But while I am there, they soon get in order again and zealous, but so speedily relax that they have not given the legal notices pre- vious to organizing. Still the materials are good, and they only want a clergyman fixed there to get on very well. They had $1300 subscribed at R. for a church, but owing to the pressure of the times and I sus- pect to difficulty in regard to a site and I fear to unsoundness in an individual or two, the sub- scription went no further. Still I regard the place as more promising than any except Buf-
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ANNALS OF ST. LUKE'S.
falo, and more promising than that for the mere building of a church, as materials are very cheap at Rochesterville."
The actual organization of the parish is thus reported by the missionary to Bishop Hobart, under date July 15, 1817.
"Mr. Norton having supplied my place for the last two Sundays, I devoted the morning of each of them to Rochesterville. The proper notices had been given and we yesterday met to organize. The number of names had been in- creased from 12 to 28 attached to the Episcopal Church ; of these 20 attended the meeting and a highly respectable Vestry was chosen. The name is 'St. Luke's Church, Genesee Falls.' Everything I see and learn adds to the convic- tion that we did not begin there too early,-the village continues to increase. In the afternoon of both Sundays I attended at Carthage, a new village two miles lower down the river, and held a third service at Pittsford, ten or eleven miles this side of Carthage. Whether congregations can be formed at these places is doubtful, but we shall probably gather some gleanings at least. Mr. Norton has charge of the three places. He requested me to urge your sending a clergyman to Buffalo and to Batavia if possi- ble, as a Presbyterian clergyman has just gone
.
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HISTORICAL SKETCH. ,
there ; he will devote some of his time to them and Leroy."
In September, 1818, Bishop Hobart made his first Episcopal visitation to the infant parish and confirmed four persons-Samuel G. An- drews, Mariette Andrews, (Mrs. W. P. Shear- man), Mrs. Mary E. Montgomery, and Hannah Ann Andrews, (Mrs. Swan). in the building oc- cupied by the Ist Presbyterian society on Car- roll, now State St., which was kindly placed at his disposal for the service.
From this time the occasional ministrations of the Rev. Mr. Norton were withdrawn, and for the ensuing eighteen months, some five or six services by the Rev. H. U. Onderdonk and the Rev. Alanson W. Welton, Missionary in Ontario county, were all that were held in the parish ; the place of service being the school- house on the lot adjoining the present church edifice.
In the Spring of 1820, the slumbering inter- est in the Church was roused to the necessity of securing more frequent ministrations, and an arrangement was effected with the Rev. A. W. Welton "to perform Divine Service once in three weeks for one year;" but the removal of Mr. Welton to Detroit in a few months, ter- minated this engagement.
The new Vestry, however, elected at the
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ANNALS OF ST. LUKE'S.
Easter meeting, the first convened since the organization, consisting of George G. Sill and William Atkinson, Wardens, and Roswell Bab- bit, A. G. Dauby, J. Stebbins, Silas Smith. J. Mastick, S. M. Smith, J. H. Gregory and E. Johnson, determined to establish the parish on a permanent basis. The offer of the original proprietors of "the 100-acre tract," Messrs. Rochester, Fitzhugh & Carroll, "to convey lot No. 85 to the first religious society that should take possession of the same and build a church thereon," being still open, the Vestry resolved, July 10, 1820, to avail itself of the proposition. Before the lot, however, was definitely secured, an effort was made in the Roman Catholic interest to forestall the Vestry, and a messen- ger was sent to Geneseo to secure the signatures of Messrs. Fitzhugh and Carroll, who resided in that locality. to a deed of gift. But the Vestry despatched Mr. Henry E. Rochester, then a lad of fourteen years, on a fleeter horse with a similar object in view. The latter succeeded in overtaking and passing the other messenger, who was tarrying for refreshment in the tavern at Avon, and so obtained the necessary signa- tures, to which that of the senior proprietor was cheerfully added. Meanwhile, the Vestry had taken practical possession by digging for a foundation and drawing building material upon the lot.
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HISTORICAL SKETCH.
A site being thus secured, the construction of a wooden building, 38 x46 feet, to contain about forty pews, was decided upon, and a contract entered into, Aug. 5, 1820. with Elias Beach and Phelps Smith, to build the same, at a cost of $1260, and $200 additional for a bell tower -the building committee consisting of Col. N. Rochester, John Mastick, Harvey Montgomery and George G. Sill. The funds were provided by the following unique subscription, which is given with the spelling and capitalization as in the original :
" We the subscribers for value received, promise to pay to the Church-Wardens and Vestrymen of St. Luke's Church, in the Village of Rochesterville, and their suc- cessors in office, the several sums set opposite our respective names, on demand ; for the purpose and in trust to build a church in said Rochesterville for said St. Luke's Church ; and upon the further trust that the said Church-Wardens and Vestrymen, and their succes- sors in office, shall, after the completion of said church, sell or dispose of the pews or slips therein, and out of the funds arising therefrom, shall refund to the sub- scribers, with interest, the several sums by them subscribed and paid, if such funds shall be adequate ; if inadequate, then to each subscriber ratably, till the funds so arising, are exhausted.
Dated, July 3, 1820.
Names.
Amit.
N. Rochester,
in lumber
$200
H. Montgomery,
in Cash 100
James Fraser,
in shelf goods 25
Wm. P. Shearman,
in goods
225
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ANNALS OF ST. LUKE'S.
Names. Am't.
Oliver Culver (by request S. M. S.) Cash 20
S. Melancton Smith, in Goods 25
Jonathan Child (by H. M.) in Lumber 50
Elisha Ely (by request S. M. S.) in Lumber
50
Frederick F. Backus, Cash
25
William Cobb.
in Blacksmithing 25
10
Jas. H. Gregory,
in Tailoring work Cash
25
West & Clark.
in Labor, Painting 25
Roswell Babbit,
in Cash
25
A. Hamlin,
in Goods
10
Silas Smith (by request S. M. S.) in Goods
25
J N. Stebbins,
in goods
25
Win. Haywood,
in Hats
20
Weston & Everest,
in Shoemaking
20
Abraham Plumb,
Goods in Goods
10
W. W. Mumford,
in Cash
20
Ebenezer Watts, Jun'r, tinware
10
Elwood & Colman,
in Labour
30
Wm Brewster.
in Cabinet furniture
10
William Atkinson.
in flour
25
Samuel J. Andrews,
4,000 ft. Lumber @ $8
32
Enos Stone,
one thousand feet Lumber
50
E. Peck & Co.,
in Books or Stationery
20
Jno. G. Vought,
in Labor
25
S. Cleveland.
in Sundries
25
John Harford,
Goods
10
John Swift,
in work in Tailoring
8
Russell Ensworth
(will do something, S. M. S.)
8
R. King,
in work in work
10
H. Scrantom,
in flour or goods
8
Jehial Barnard,
Benj. James,
in coopering
5
Frederick Hanford,
in Shingles
20
Henry Draper,
in team work
25
Abner Wakelee,
in shoes
10
E. Pomeroy,
Cash
5
Zimri Davis,
in teem work
5
John G. Bond,
in lumber or team work
6
Bissell and Ely,
in lumber. 61M. ft.
25
George Cameron,
T. Bingham,
S. H. Packard.
in chairs in tailoring
01 30 - 12
Ira West & Co.,
20
Elisha Taylor.
HISTORICAL SKETCH. 15
Names.
Am't.
Jacob Gould. in goods 10
J. Mastick. eighteen dollars cash 18
Elias Beach.
in joiner work 30
Phelps Smith,
in joiner work 30
John Bingham.
in joiner work 10
The following additional subscription. bear- ing date August 1, 1820, provided for the erect- ion of a Steeple or Cupola :
Abrm. Plumb, donation in goods $20
West & Clark.
in Labor, painting 25
John Mastick. in goods out of J. Spencer's Store
S. Melancton Smith. in Goods 5
Silas Smith. in Goods or demand in notes
J. N. Stebbins. in goods 5
A. Reynolds, in goods or brick
5
D. D. Barnard, in Cider and apples del'd at Mendon 5
Preston Smith. in Goods at his Grocery
E. Watts will do the sodering for the Cupulo.
Levi Ward. jr., goods or provisions
5
Elisha Elv.
in Lumber 2.5
Elisha Taylor.
in Tayloring work
Daniel Warren. in mason work when called for
with one week's Notice 10
Robert King. in Joiner work 5
Jonathan Case. in mason work, with one week's notice 10
Martin Clapp.
in mason work at six
days notice
10
Robert W. Churchill, in joiner work
10
Asa Bartlett. Mason work 5
John Meeker. in joiner work on or before thirty days A. Steward
10
N. T. Rochester, in Lumber 5
5
Timothy Bosworth, to be paid in Combs at cash prices W. L. Whiting, in goods at J. Spencer's Store for improvements on church 10
Joshua Ross, five dollars in Meat 5
Richmon Tuttle, Ten Dollars in Saddlery for improvement on the church 10
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ANNALS OF ST. LUKE'S.
Names.
Am't. .
Ephm. Moore, five Dollars in Pork out of my Shop for improvement on church
Moses Dyer, two dollars in meat when called for
David Stone, five Dollars in Joiner's work with one week's notice 5
Ashbel Steele,
10 Dollars in mason work 10
Samuel Graves.
$5 In Blacksmith work 5
William Atkinson.
in flour 5
Silas Smith,
one dollar Cash
S. Melancton Smith. one dollar Cash paid
William Atkinson.
one dollar Cash paid
James H. Gregory. one dollar Cash pd
J. N. Stebbins, one dollar Cash pd
R. Babbit. one dollar Cash pd
N. Rochester pd building chimney 84.06
Brick, rent of Stove. etc. 6.35 pd
10.41
Smith & Alcott 9.18
Pending the erection of the church, the fol- lowing letter was addressed to Bishop Hobart by William Atkinson, Warden. in behalf of the Wardens and Vestrymen, under date Rochester, Nov. 10, 1820, (the title of the vil- large corporation having been changed in 1819 by an act of the legislature from Rochester- ville to Rochester), which sets forth fully the condition of the parish at this time:
"We presume, ere this, you have been in- formed by our friend Mr. Onderdonk. of the progress of our small society in erecting a house of public worship in this place, which, by the blessing of Providence, we intend to finish by the latter end of December. We have long been desirous of procuring a young clergyman,
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HISTORICAL SKETCH.
who would command respect by his talents and esteem by his virtues, and who would be in every way calculated to raise a society from a small beginning to a respectable size. It ap- pears to us that here is a field for a clergyman to become eminently useful by an acquisition of members to the Church. We feel gratified on hearing that a person of this description has been found in Mr. Cuming, who, in your opin- ion, is every way calculated and who seems dis- posed to come. One great difficulty, however, arises in procuring ample funds for his support, owing to the smallness of our society and want of means. We, therefore, make application for some assistance from your missionary fund, or in any way deemed proper by yourself. We can probably raise three hundred dollars by great exertion and great liberality by our mem- bers, all of whom will contribute to the best of their ability; and by an addition of two hun- dred and fifty dollars from your fund, we shall be able to establish such a respectable standing as to make up any deficiency by those who would soon be added to our numbers. As our popu- lation increases with an unexampled rapidity and many persons of wealth, talent and respect- ability are daily added to our society, it be- comes highly important for the Church that in the commencement there be established among
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ANNALS OF ST. LUKE'S.
us a man of respectable talents ; and that some assistance be granted for his support from abroad, so that an insupportable tax be not laid on a few individual members in the beginning, and consequently prevent an acquisition of members. A very few years will place us in a situation so as not to require foreign aid. We would thank you to take our situation under your serious consideration, feeling confident that every exertion will be made by you for our assistance, and would be pleased to hear from you previous to our communicating with Mr. Cuming on the subject. Be so good, also, as to inform us whether there would be an im- propriety in performing Divine Service in the church before consecration. Mr. Onderdonk has, no doubt, shown you a communication from Col. Rochester, expressive of the minds of the Vestry."
The application for aid in the foregoing let- ter was fortified by the following communica- tion to the Bishop from the Rev. Mr. Cuming, who was already at this date, Dec. 4, 1820, upon the ground, having come from Binghampton, where he held a missionary appointment :
" Yesterday, for the first time, I officiated in this place. The attention was both general and flattering, The prospect is good. In the
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HISTORICAL SKETCH.
evening I went to Penfield. Something may be done there bye-and-bye.
" The Church will be ready for consecration the Ist of January. Will you have the good- ness to inform me as early as possible on what day you will consecrate it, and of the other places in this vicinity you will expect to visit, and whether you will officiate at them morning or afternoon. I expect to take Priests' Orders when you are here,-will you preach or shall some one of the clergy in this part of the country do it.
"As my living in this place will not exceed four hundred dollars per annum, I trust I shall be continued on the missionary list."
The young parish, however, was apparently thought able to take care of itself, as no assist- ance was received. The Vestry accordingly entered into agreement Jan. 10, 1821, with the Rev. F. H. Cuming, Deacon, " to perform divine service in such manner as is customary in well regulated Protestant Episcopal Churches in the State of New York, for the term of one year from and after the first Sunday in December. 1820; " for which service the Vestry agreed to pay the sum of four hundred and seventy-five dollars; which sum was increased at various times, until in December, 1823, the salary was fixed at eight hundred dollars.
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ANNALS OF ST. LUKE'S.
The little church was first occupied on Christmas Day and was consecrated by Bishop Hobart on the 20th of February ensuing, at which time also the Rite of Confirmation was. administered to the following persons: John Mastick, Jared N. Stebbins, Elbert Scrantom, N. T. Rochester, Ann Cornelia Rochester, Dorothy Stebbins, Frances Tiffany and Sarah Mason.
On the following day, the Rev. Mr. Cuming was advanced to the Priesthood.
In his convention address of that year, the Bishop in mentioning these facts, adds: "It gives me great pleasure to see a respectable and increasing congregation in a flourishing village, the site of which at the Falls of the Genesee river a few years since was a wilderness."
The prosperity of the parish under the min- istry of Mr. Cuming, rendered increased accom- modation necessary, and accordingly on the 25th of June, 1823, the Vestry resolved to build a new church when the subscription should amount to eight thousand dollars. It was hoped that Trinity Church, New York, would loan two thousand dollars more, and the Rev. Mr. Cuming was authorized and requested Aug. 12, to draft a petition to this effect to that corporation. The application, however, proved unsuccessful. The following letter from Mr.
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HISTORICAL SKETCH.
Cuming to Bishop Hobart under date Aug. 15, 1823, explains the situation :
" It is now about two and a half years since the Church in this place had the constant ser- vices of a clergyman. Five communicants were all that could at the commencement of this period be found residing here. The number of individuals in the place who had been educated Episcopalians amounted to twenty. Though we are still but a little flock, our increase has been greater than the most sanguine of us ex- pected to see within so short a period. At the very beginning every effort was made to pre- vent our permanent establishment. These efforts have continued to be made, but at no time with more determination than at present. It is unnecessary for me to go into details. I have an account of facts treasured up with respect to the hostility displayed toward the Church here, the disclosure of which would even make almost every opposer of our institutions in every other place to which my knowledge extends, blush. The most unremitting exer- tions are made, and the most ungentlemanly acts resorted to to keep people, especially those of influence, enterprise and capital away from the Church and induce them to attend else- where. . It is highly important to the welfare of the Church, and especially to her
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ANNALS OF ST. LUKE'S.
increase in respectability and wealth, that we erect a building which shall reflect credit upon the architect, upon the village and the Church at large."
The infant parish thus obliged to be depend- ent on its own resources, determined to " arise and build." In September, 1823, the Vestry resolved to enter into a contract with H. T. McGeorge to build a stone church 53 x 73 with a tower 16 x6 at the contract price of $9,000. and William Pitkin, Caleb L. Clark, S. M. Smith, T. H. Rochester and Silas Smith with the minister ex officio, were appointed the build- ing committee. The cost of the edifice, how- ever, reached the sum of $10,400. The old frame church was removed to the rear of the lot and was subsequently used for Sunday School purposes until 1832, when the building was sold, removed to Buffalo St., converted to secular uses and finally demolished in April, 1875.
The corner stone of the new structure was laid May 11, 1824, and the edifice was first opened for public worship Sept. 4, 1825. The following contemporary description is taken from the first Rochester Directory, published in 1827 :
" The style of the building, is Gothick, which has been rigidly observed in every particular.
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HISTORICAL SKETCH.
The main part of the front is of hewn gray stone from Auburn. The two corners of the tower and the two corners of the body of the house are of red freestone. as are also the water table, the caps, sills and jambs of the windows and doors. The two windows in the tower are strikingly beautiful, containing a proper num- ber of spandrels and branching mullions, and ornamented with rich and delicate tracery. Around the arch of the first of these, hand- somely cut in the stone cap, is the name of the church, with the year of its erection. The tower is 16 feet square, projecting five feet be- yond the body of the church, and rising to the height of 90 feet. This is finished at the top with eight pinnacles, connected by a castellated or embattled balustrade. A similar · balustrade runs around the roof of the whole house, having similar pinnacles at each corner. The wood-work on the outside of the house has been made strongly to resemble the red free- stone, by a process termed smalting.
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